The potential for spread of codling moth (Lepidoptera : Tortricidae) via commercial sweet cherry fruit: a critical review and risk assessment

The identity, geographical distribution, and host range of codling moth is reviewed, and the evidence for sweet cherry being a host is critically anal ysed. A model is described which assesses the risk of codling moth being sp read through international trade in sweet cherries, as exemplified by expor ts from, respectively, New Zealand and USA to Japan in winter and summer. T he model is based on the recorded incidence of codling moth in cherries and its estimated probability of survival during storage, transport to, and ar rival in Japan, using data from specific studies and from wider knowledge o f the phenology, life history, and biology of the species. There is unambig uous experimental evidence, supported by field observations, that sweet che rry is not a host of codling moth. It is concluded that the risk of codling moth establishing in an overseas country such as Japan through the cherry trade is extremely low and that specific quarantine measures to prevent the introduction of this insect by this route are not technically justified. ( C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All tights reserved.